Call on citizens to help. Issue war bonds. Ask for donations from countries that are turning away refugees (this might not work but it’ll definitely rub their nose in it). Ask the Senate to make personal donations.

We’ll figure it out somehow.

Thank you,

Shannon

54.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

Since Canada is a democracy, you can’t make all decisions completely on your own. If you’d like, please send me the names of other members of the government who I should write to and ask them to support Syrian refugees as well.

Thank you,

Shannon

55.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

Today someone set off some bombs in Paris and killed at least 118 people. As I write this, the identity of the bombers is still unknown. However, in the comments sections of articles, people are already blaming ISIS. I don’t know, maybe it was them. Terrorist attacks are intended to cause infighting and disorganization, making their targets ineffective because they can’t agree on what to do.

A strong leader can help, though, by pointing the way firmly toward peace and unity, instead of focussing the nation on retaliation.

I hope the French leaders do that, and I hope you don’t take this as a reason to close Canada to refugees.

Thanks,

Shannon

56.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

It’s possible that some of my letters to you show some naiveté when it comes to politics and international economics. There is a lot to learn, and though I try my best to read and get up to speed, I doubt that I’ll ever know everything I need to make good decisions.

I admit that I failed Macroeconomics 100. I think it’s pretty stupid to plot national and international trends on graphs that only chart two factors. I switched majors to Computer Science and did a lot better there.

You have, I hope, all the information you need to make good choices, if you don’t give in to fear and confusion. Let refugees come to Canada. I’m pretty sure it’s a good choice.

Thank you,

Shannon

57.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

My great-grandparents were immigrants. They came from Ireland, Scotland and England. I’m white as the driven snow, so no one’s ever given me any trouble about it. Still, it goes to show that immigration often works well. People who WANT to be here are likely to be good citizens. Let’s get some Syrian immigrants asap.

Love,

Shannon

58.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

Come to think of it, your grandparents were immigrants as well. I’ve just spent the last couple minutes checking wikipedia to see how many generations ago your family immigrated, but the articles about you and your father are pretty focussed. Never mind. We all came from somewhere else. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Thanks,

Shannon

59.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

It’s November 13th as I’m writing this. A pretty unlucky Friday. The body count in France is up to 120, the French military has been mobilized and the borders are shut down. A refugee camp somewhere is on fire. Anonymous people on the internet are saying the usual hateful things that they always say, but the sane people in the world realize that the bombers who did this (maybe – we still don’t know for sure it was ISIS) are the people that refugees are trying to get away from.

There’s an opportunity here for the French to band together with the refugees and build a stronger nation, forged through a common enemy. I hope they do it. I hope we do it too. 3,000 refugees are in Canada already and are safe from today’s bombings. Let’s rescue more.

Thank you,

Shannon

60.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

I’m still reading about the bombings in France. It’s so far away and so far beyond my control, I don’t even know why I’m doing it. All that happens when I read the news is I get stressed out about things I can’t affect. Someday I want to be in a position where I can do something, though. I want to go back to school, learn a language, get a degree, and serve our country. I don’t know how I’m going to do it. Maybe I don’t need the degree. Maybe I can get somewhere with what I’m doing now.

Mr Trudeau, please make sure Canada is a force for peace, and not perpetuators of war. Please let us be a sanctuary for refugees and let our role be one of de-escalation.

Thank you,

Shannon

61.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

It seems like suicide bombers ought to be a self-defeating problem, don’t you think? So how is it that ISIS never seems to run out of them?

Reason, of course, is because the really bad guys don’t sign up for suicide attacks. They are old men hiding in caves cackling to themselves. They are safe in the mountains and they’re not coming out. They seduce gullible and vulnerable young people, and get them to do the dirty work.

I can understand being that vulnerable, too. The war in Iraq started when I was 12. It was my first week of middle school. I was totally army-mad. I signed up for Air Cadets and promised myself that I would join the military and go to Iraq as soon as I was old enough, if they managed to keep the war going that long.

They did keep it going that long. It’s been 14 years and the same stupid war keeps going on, spreading around to different areas and morphing into different shapes sometimes, but it’s still basically the same war. They’re not doing very well. The biggest superpower in the world versus some hillbilly thugs. Why haven’t they finished yet?

It’s lasted long enough for me to grow up and get educated and now I know better. I will not be signing up to fight in any angry old man’s war. I have a future here in Canada. A good job, lots of friends, enough money, a nice place to live. If the young men and women of ISIS could see a bright future like mine for their families, they’d think twice about throwing it all away for a single attack. If we make room for them in Canada, we can give them that bright future. The angry old men will have to come out and fight their own fights, or, more likely, give up.

Love, Shannon

62.

Dear Mr Trudeau,

Mr Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”